'I want to be a Welsh speaker because...'

I work in Elderly care and it is important to me to be able to atleast chat a bit with my patients whos first language is Welsh .

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ā€¦in general learning another language can only be a good thing; and more specifically because N Wales is now my home and it feels right. :smile:

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I want to be a Welsh speaker because it will give me the opportunity feel more apart of Wales and the welsh culture. It will open up a whole new world for me.

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When I was a child, growing up in the South Wales valleys in the 60ā€™s making my Oā€™Level choices (GCSE for the youngsters), my memory Is that we were told, take French as itā€™ll be more use to you.
Later I moved to Cardiff to train as a nurse where my accent was sometimes mocked.
I love reading and the English language, but I always found myself saying defensively that I was as Welsh as any Welsh Language speaker, and believing it.
However for years, as I brushed shoulders with, and had friends who were Welsh speaking, I wished I could speak it. With a busy life I always told myself it was too hard.
Lately I tried Duolingo but felt it didnā€™t help with having the confidence to speak. Then during Lockdown a lady in my street mentioned SSin and I was off. A bit late at 67 but better late than never. I LOVE if from the first introductory sentence. Struggle a bit but surprised how much goes in so I hope to be pretty fluent by 70šŸ˜Š. Thanks all at SSin.

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And that above why I want to be a Welsh Speaker

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I want to contribute to keeping a language alive. I am English with no base knowledge of Welsh and I started off wanting to make my Welsh fiance proud. Now, I feel proud of myself for sticking at something I found hard and enjoying the act of learning and getting things right (and wrong!)

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I spoke it as a very small child then all my elder family that spoke it passed on. Now my nieces are fluent I want to talk to them in my mother tongue and feel the connection I have lost over the years.

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Continuing the discussion from 'I want to be a Welsh speaker becauseā€¦':

I tried to learn Welsh through 3 different schools - a total of 6 years! It just wouldnā€™t go in so I came to the conclusion I cannot learn languages! I married a Welsh man and our 3 children are all totally bilingual, and I have often thought how nice it would be to join in their conversations without them having to speak English for me! I am hoping this course will succeed where others have failed!

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Itā€™s going to be a long sentence ā€¦ I want to learn Welsh because I met my partner, who is a first language Welsh speaker, and I want to learn his language, and be able to chat to his family without them having to switch to English; because I have lived across Europe and learnt and studied many languages but until VERY recently had never heard a word of spoken Welsh, and had no idea it was such a living and thriving language, and had never been to Wales; because during lockdown my partner and I were apart looking after our respective children, and starting to learn Welsh has been a lovely way of feeling close to him whilst apart; and, lastly, because although I happily identify as English, having been born and brought up here, I also feel very British, and my personal ancestry is a mixture of north eastern England, Scottish borders, and Ireland (sadly no Welsh), and I am thrilled to be discovering another facet to my British heritage, and hope to one day be able to understand more of the literature, heritage and culture associated with the Welsh language. (Phew!)

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I want to be a Welsh speaker, because I fell in love with the language and I look forward to discover Cymru and not ā€œonlyā€ Wales when Iā€™ll visit it one day (soon, hopefully).

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I want to be a Welsh speaker because itā€™s beautiful and part of my (albeit) distant heritage.

Since starting dysgu Cymraeg, I have felt as if itā€™s my ā€œshould-have-beenā€ language. I love the sounds - the rolling and the hiss of it. Like waves and foam.

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I love your reason. There is a publisher called Seren Books which has put out a lot of Welsh and English books on Welsh themes. They have a series ā€œNew Tales From the Mabiginogionā€ by modern authors that you might like.

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Thank you Christie. Iā€™ll have a look at Seren books, looks like it would be right up my street. I read a novel when I was a teenager (many years ago!) which was based on one of the tales from the Mabinogion and it has stuck with me and haunted me a bit! I love your sentence too and your description of the roll and hiss of Welsh. I feel a sort of uncanny familiarity with it (not that Iā€™m finding it easy) and I love to speak it. Or try to :joy:

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I want to be a Welsh speaker because although Welsh was taught in my primary school, (stariung 67 years ago!), and for two years in the grammar school, I, like nearly all the kids who came from English speaking homes, never achieved fluency, a situation that has annoyed and frustrated me ever since.

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I want to be a Welsh speaker because my Grandfather was Welsh, and I moved to Wales from England 5 years ago. I want to feel part of the Welsh community.

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I want to be a Welsh speaker because I was fascinated whenever I heard the language, I thought it sounded wonderful.
As my grandchildren are learning Welsh in school I would love to be able to help them practice speaking the language.

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I want to be a welsh speaker because I was born in Wales in a welsh speaking family but I have forgotten a lot of the language, I have returned to live in Wales and I want to speak welsh again because it used to be my first language.

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I want to be a Welsh speaker to increase my Welsh identity and ask for drinks in Aberdaron next time I am there.

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I want to be a Welsh speaker so I can speak to my Mum in welsh.

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I love visiting Wales and I know I can enjoy it even more if I can speak the language.

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